We’ve got a little royalty in the county

Rachel Grober’s busy senior year got a lot more hectic last month when the New Hampton High School student was crowned the 64th Iowa dairy princess on the night before the Iowa State Fair started.But the 17-year-old from Ionia wouldn’t have it any other way.“I know I’m going to be really busy, but it will keep me out of trouble, right,” she said with a laugh. “It was really a cool experience, and I think I’d say that even if I hadn’t won.”Grober, who last spring was elected to a district officer position in FFA, will spend the next year — her reign officially starts today [Friday] — as a goodwill ambassador for the Midwest Dairy Association.“Basically, my job is to be an advocate for dairy,” she said, “and to help people understand the dedication dairy farm families have to their cows, the land and the products they produce.”And she understands firsthand the sacrifices dairy families make.Her parents, Todd and Sherry, along with her brother, Jordon, run a 140-head dairy operation in rural Ionia.
 
For more of this story, see Friday's New Hampton Tribune